Hi Lori,
When considering cut and clarity, you may want to think about what is actually visible to the naked eye:
VVs, Vs and Si inclusions are not visible to the naked eye, they are only visible through magnification.
Colors E and F have no detectable color to the naked eye and they fall into the Colorless category. Diamonds in the G to J color range have a hint of body color and are considered Near Colorless. The eye begins to detect faint traces of yellow in diamonds that are in the J to M range.
When thinking about the sparkle factor, you also want to consider the shape....the round brilliant diamond will give you the most sparkle out of all of the shapes....it's probably why it's the most popular of all shapes. (However, other shapes at the same carat weight, may appear less sparkly, but will look like a bigger diamond)
Check out this insightful article on which of the Cs to focus on when trying to get the most diamond for your dollar:
